Anchoring in Sydney

[jim_thomsen]

We would like to spend a couple of weeks in Syndey during January. It's my first visit to Syndey and I'm excited to see the city. Where would you anchor? Or marina?

Thanks for the help and suggestions.

Jim

[dirkdig]

We have stayed in Blackwattle bay just out in front of the Sydney fish markets.

Very sheltered and handy to everything.
It has a dock you can lock the tender to as well.
Not far from there you can get ful and water from Baileys fuel supplies at white bay wharf.
There are 2 anchoring areas which see a few boats.
A friend also likes he spot outside Taronga zoo which is good in a north wind.
Marinas are very expensive and not that required in my opinion on the harbour

[giant]

Best marina for cruisers in Sydney Harbour and probably best value could be Cammeray Marina in middle harbour - very bushy and quiet... Family owned for multiple generations a bit of community atmosphere... haul out available too I believe. Casual atmosphere. The present owner has spent seven years RTW cruising himself. You do have to time your arrival there with the opening of the Spit Bridge.

The only anchouring I have heard of is around Luna Park just west of the harbour bridge on the northside.

Sydney Harbour is going to be very busy on Boxing Day for the Sydney to Hobart start and New Years Eve fireworks.

Three hours sail north of Sydney harbour is Pittwater with Refuge Cove and American Bay etc for anchouring. Pittwater is also very bushy with lots of National Parkland, close to the spectacular Northern Beaches and possibly a good place to spend a week or so casual cruising the Hawkesbury etc.

[TopperHarley]

My favorite anchorages around sydney harbour;
Quarantine bay
Bantry Bay
Sugarloaf Bay

Pittwater/Broken bay;
America bay
Refuge bay
Jerusalem bay
The basin

All those places are fairly secluded.... if you need somewhere closer to civilisation, try one of the many (expensive) marinas around the harbour, or alternatively moor in somewhere like Rose Bay and row ashore for supplies etc. Rose bay is also well connected by public transport.

Some good local maps available at:
Boating Maps - Maritime

[kmaz]

My favorite anchorage in the harbour is just off Rosherville Reserve. It is a proper mooring field but I've had no issues anchoring just outside. Very protected and quiet. You can dinghy to the beach and walk to several bus stops but it will take quite a while to make it into the CBD. If you have a fast dinghy it is a short ride to Manley where you can catch the ferry into Circular Quay.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=-33.8...s&z=15&iwloc=A

Second the anchorages around the zoo but not sure about shore access to transportation. You may find some swell and will definitely feel ferry wakes.

If you need a few days close to the city Rushcutters Bay has several marinas in addition to mooring balls. Very convenient to downtown Sydney.

[MarkJ]

On arriving in 1788 with the First Fleet Captain Phillip said: a harbour in which a thousand sail of the line may ride in the most perfect security.

It is surprising that so very few international cruisers sail into Sydney Harbour, the most amazing harbour in the world.

There are two designated International Anchorages and two others worth particular note, and then a myriad bays, bites and roadsteads to rest awhile in (al)most perfect security.

Blackwattle Bay is the main International Anchorage
33 52 20.688 S 151 11 08.337 E
A short dinghy ride to the Fish Markets with 40 or so seafood resturants, green grocers, ice etc 33 52 23.183 S 151 11 27.767 E
Provisioning Supermarket up the road from Blackwattle Bay at 33° 53.016'S 151° 11.593'E walk up, taxi back
From the fish markets walk over the pedestrain bridge over Darling Harbour and you are right in the city of Sydney. its a short walk.

The other International Anchorage and if you have a dog on board you may have to say here. Balls Head 33 50 42.147 S 151 11 50.552 E I dont like that anchorage as its miles from anywhere.

The best tourist anchorage, and this one no one believes is an anchorgae is Farm Cove right next to the Opera House sourrounded by the Botanic Gardens. Rearly will you find another boat in there. Ferries go past but it quietens down at night. This is one of the worlds unmissable anchorages.
33 51 34.878 S 151 13 08.966 E

Store Bay completely surrounded by bush, this anchorage has no road access and is the treasure of locals. Its just north of North Head
33 48 40.995 S 151 17 18.899 E Only go on weekends if you want to meet LOTS of locals! And get there early friday because its gets packed from lunchtime. Dinghy to Little Manly beach to go into Manly 33 48 24.561 S 151 17 10.110 E

On a quiet summer night there is none better than the open roadstead by Shark Island. Have a cocktail as you watch the suun set behind the Harbour Bridge and Opera House 33 51 38.721 S 151 15 25.787 E some larger boats, super yachts etc stay here for weeks. Either North or South of Shark Island is fine. go where the view is best.

And the really realy special moment to be in Sydney Harbour is New Years Eve. It sounds like its going to be hell on water but everyone is happy and friendly just grab a great spot off Garden Island 33 51 27.772 S 151 13 27.125 E and the photo below is what you will see.



Enjoy Sydney. Its the most amazing city in the world. I love it. Its my city and its my home and I miss it terribly.

[jannw]

I haven't been sailing in Sydney in a decade ... but if memory serves ...

Blackwattle bay is pretty big, as others have mentioned ... but don't swim there!

Lavender, berrys, and balls head bays might be good. One might be a no-anchor zone though (can't recall)

There are lots of areas to quietly anchor on the river side of middle-harbour ... through the infrequently opening spit bridge. Sailors bay might be good, with reasonable access to northbridge shopping area.

Pittwater is really nice ... but transport to anywhere might be a mess. Wondabyne, in brisbane waters, has a train station, and I've seen cruisers there for years ... but it is truly remote. See also berowra waters and brooklyn.

Friday night twilighting at RANSA in Rushcutters Bay is always good fun in the Summer.

[Boracay]

I came to quite like Rozelle Bay, next to Blackwattle Bay.

Blackwattle Bay gets very crowded these days, these is only a small approved anchoring area and a few locals with large boats seem to take up most of that permanently.

Rozelle Bay is a bit shallow in parts but I usually found a nice quiet spot just out from the cat marina. Boracay has 6'6" draft and we hardly touched bottom there, even at the lowest of tides. Careful use of your depth sounder and doing investigation at low water or just after are strongly recommended!

Beware of where some smaller yachts anchor (NE end, next to park). It's right next to some very shallow water. Don't ask.

And the fireworks don't look too bad from there either.

[Jim Cate]

FWIW,

While Blackwattle Bay is indeed a convenient location and perfectly protected, the powers that be have defined some very small areas where anchoring is permitted. In their wisdom, they have selected areas with minimal depth for your anchoring pleasure. The parts that have adequate depth at spring lows get very crowded, especially during Festival and school holidays. Local rumour says that the rowing club doesn't like folks anchoring in "their" harbour, and that they have political clout...

One can anchor near the Manly Ferry terminal in northerly weather and there is good shore access... shopping etc... and of course good public transport. In southerly weather the area outside the moorings at Balmoral Beach is protected, but access is not so good. All the anchorages mentioned in Middle harbour are fine, but isolated and often crowded during holidays. Cammeray (sp?) marina is indeed friendly to cruisers, but has poor access to shopping and transport (and there are IIRC 116 steps up to the road level... a fitness challenge!)

Balls Head Bay is the "official" anchorage for offshore yachts, but is untenable in southerly blows. Further, some of it (at least a few years ago) is foul with wreckage. Not a nice place to send your overseas visitors IMO!

The Pittwater is where we spend our time in this area. One can anchor near Church Point and catch a bus into Mona Vale and points south. All marine services available nearby, good provisioning, and generally very friendly folks. From there it is only a mile to Towlers Bay, the first decent anchorage in the National Park area, and a few more miles to the Kurangai anchorages and isolation from civilization... except on weekends and in holiday season! One can anchor near the town of Brooklyn where there is a train depot and access all the public transport for the Sydney area as well as a marina with a laundromat.

Mark J is certainly correct in describing Sydney Harbour as one of the great destinations for cruisers, but for the anchor-outer it is awkward and restricted these days.
***
Hmmm, see Boracay's post above...
Cheers,

Jim

[44'cruisingcat]

All of MarkJ's suggestions are great. We also like anchoring at Manly, just in front of the shark net. There's minimal wash from the ferries there, and shops are very handy.

It's amazing how few people anchor in Farm cove, right next to the opera house. Maybe because it's such an incredible location you think it just HAS to be illegal? Only downside really is the ferry wakes, and there's no real way of going ashore from there.

With our draught we have no problem in Rozelle bay, and access to public transport from there is excellent.

Another good spot for us is Rose Bay, although the seaplanes can be noisy.

[jim_thomsen]

WOW!

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I'll play with them today on my plotter. Now i'm really excited to get there!

We will miss new year's eve and that's too bad. That has been something I have always looked forward too. But we will return to California for Christmas (and to see our first grandson) and then fly back on Jan.1 (cheapest ticket available, I guess no one wants to fly after new year's eve...I hope the pilot is well rested) We are in Brisbane (Scarborough) and will head south after we return...when the winds come sort of from the north too.

Again, I want to thank all of you for the great ideas and suggestions. I'll let you know how it goes.

Jim

[efrank]

Hi.
As a fellow HR sailor, owner of "Nordan" a HR 54 currently in Split.welcome to Sydney.
If I can be of any help please contact me at qccsyd@tpg.com.au
I am in Pittwater on my Beneteau 47.7 but will be in Sydney on New Years eve.
Would be delighted to show you around as I have been following your travels especially Holland where I seem to have followed your initial purchasing route.
Regards,
Eric

[Andrew G]

Jim, welcome to Aus.
+1 to all the above plus. In Rozelle / Blackwattle bays are three little bays on the S side with yellow bouys - we are required to anchor S of the line of bouys and the nearby headlands. Yachties are firmly but politley asked to move if outside the line (I was there 4 weeks ago) - they can be crowded but are sheltered, secure and near shops and transport. In Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) there are lots of rivers/inlets to explore with deep water.
Pitwater to the N is fantastic!
Also, Port Hacking (to the S) is good too. In Gunamatta Bay there is a good anchoarge just inside the entrance sand spit and in the NE corner a marina - not cheap but has fuel, good shops and train are only 100m away. The rest of Port Hacking abuts National Park and is less crowded but get local advice about shallow spots and overhead cables (not all as low as charted).
Enjoy, Andrew

[Boracay]

I'll second having the NSW Maritime maps referred to above. They give a pretty good idea of where you can and can't anchor.

[SunDevil]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

It is surprising that so very few international cruisers sail into Sydney Harbour, the most amazing harbour in the world.
...
The best tourist anchorage, and this one no one believes is an anchorgae is Farm Cove right next to the Opera House sourrounded by the Botanic Gardens. Rearly will you find another boat in there. Ferries go past but it quietens down at night. This is one of the worlds unmissable anchorages.
33 51 34.878 S 151 13 08.966 E
...
Enjoy Sydney. Its the most amazing city in the world. I love it. Its my city and its my home and I miss it terribly.

I agree it is the best city in the world that I have been to, and I have been quite a few places.

I'm very surprised that you can anchor in Farm Cove. It would be a great place to anchor for the view, but it definitely wouldn't be private. And your boat would show up in hundreds of tourist photos.

But, I wish I was there right now.